A Bright Future?

[greenwillowhereford II]

Recently purchased a steer from Flying G primarily for freezer beef, but with the intent to let him double as a show steer in the local 4H for my oldest son. Since the 4H shows don't show steers by breed, we didn't have her to transfer papers on him, so I can't just read his pedigree and list it for you, but I do know that his mother was purchased bred from Star Lake, in the hopes of getting a heifer calf from the package, as a full sib heifer was what they originally bid on but went too high. Instead, a dandy, whopping bull calf was born. No problem, but he was over the limit on BW, hence we got the chance to purchase a steer sired by Star Bright Future. He's dark red, full pigment, very long and wide from end to end. He's got a little more leg than I like, and will probably be a frame score 6.5 or so. As gentle as you could ask for, has a natural stance that should bode well for the show ring. It may take a few weeks, but I'll see what I can do about some pics. His actual 8 or 8 1/2 month weaning weight was 856#. As I looked at the sale digest in Hereford World this month, I saw his half siblings ranging from $5,000 to $7,700. The dam had a "Ruby" cow in her pedigree that was the dam of a national champion a few years ago. This steer's dam's name is something like "Amgen."

I think it says a lot for a program that they are willing to steer a bull with this kind of pedigree and phenotype because of high BW.

 

[Limomike]

The Spradlings, sure know what they are doing thats for sure. I liked their spread, and they have some excellent Herf's. They just dont advertise like some do around here... but the quality of breeding they put into their stock is 2nd to none. Not to mention they are both just really wonderful, honest, caring people.

 

[greenwillowhereford II]

I agree that the Spradlings are great people, and I like their cattle.

Took another look at the sale digest this morning. The headline bull from the Star Lake bull sale was a Bright Future son that went for $25,000+ for less than full interest. Interested to know what others who are familiar with Star Lake' program think of the Bright Future bull. I must confess that I've been somewhat critical of Star Lake, but this steer has softened that somewhat.

BTW, for Herefordsire and other Online fans, Flying G has at least a couple of Online grandsons for sale now; probably about 7 or 8 months old. I believe they are sired by the SHF bull that is one of Flying G's junior herd sires, and he has some Keynote back a ways if I recall the last look I had at his papers correctly.

 

[DFF]

A May B.F. hfr sold in the Mo Opportunity Sale last week she was pretty nice I think around 3 Thousand dollars. And of course a Bright Future son won the A Royal as a 8 mon old calf, I'm kinda partial to him though. You know how it is , it'll be 3-5 yrs before the true potential of a bull is realized.
L Day

 

[alexfarms]

I have no idea who the Spradlings are or who Flying G is and I am sure you have a very good show steer, BUT the cattlepeople who sold him to you have my sympathy. It sounds like they put out good money to get a "top notch" breeding female and wound up with a bull calf who's bw was so big they felt they had to cut him for a steer and that has got to be a real disappointment to them. It is an odd thing in the Hereford breed: We see some top notch business people come into our breed who are willing to put up some good money to buy the best they can buy and put together a top notch herd of breeding cattle and they seem to endlessly end up frustrated with how their money has not yielded the kind of breed leading cattle they originally set out to breed. More often than not, they exit the breed with their tails tucked between their legs and their pocket books much thinner than when they came in. Now it may be that a few of our breed leaders have profited greatly from these investor's misadventures, but I think it is bad for the breed in the long run when one of these good business people gets frustrated like this and abruptly exits. It has been said, 'there is a sucker born every minute', but I don't think that should be the credo of the Hereford breed in the 21st century.

 

[dun]

I have no idea who the Spradlings are or who Flying G is and I am sure you have a very good show steer, BUT the cattlepeople who sold him to you have my sympathy. It sounds like they put out good money to get a "top notch" breeding female and wound up with a bull calf who's bw was so big they felt they had to cut him for a steer and that has got to be a real disappointment to them. It is an odd thing in the Hereford breed: We see some top notch business people come into our breed who are willing to put up some good money to buy the best they can buy and put together a top notch herd of breeding cattle and they seem to endlessly end up frustrated with how their money has not yielded the kind of breed leading cattle they originally set out to breed. More often than not, they exit the breed with their tails tucked between their legs and their pocket books much thinner than when they came in. Now it may be that a few of our breed leaders have profited greatly from these investor's misadventures, but I think it is bad for the breed in the long run when one of these good business people gets frustrated like this and abruptly exits. It has been said, 'there is a sucker born every minute', but I don't think that should be the credo of the Hereford breed in the 21st century.

Not so odd and it's not just Herefords!

 

[Frankie]

Not so odd and it's not just Herefords!

That's very true.

 

[rocket2222]

Greenwillow, what is their birthweight limit and what did the calf weigh.

 

[greenwillowhereford II]

I'll try to address all the questions in one post:

First of all, Flying G is the oldest continuous polled Hereford breeder in Oklahoma, and have a strong base of commercial bull customers. They were around long before Star Lake, and I expect them to still be around when Star Lake is not. They also sell pecans, and last I knew, Mike Spradling was the president of the Oklahoma Farm Bureau. Lotsee is the main cattle person; it was her mother and father who founded the ranch. Their names were George and Garnett Campbell. Garnett was a full blood Commanche Indian, and George was a fighter pilot, hence the name "Flying G." Lotsee was raised on a pillow on the front of her mother's saddle, as Garnett also was the primary cattle person in those days. So, Alexfarms, I don't think this is going to drive them from the cattle business. I personally prefer Flying G's own breeding to that of Star Lake and many others for that matter. They raised polled Lamplighters for years, and my grandfather bought bulls from them in those days. I have a cow that I bought from them that still has several of those old names in her pedigree, as she was out of a 12 year old cow nearly eight years ago. Upon the Lamplighter base, they built a Victor/Feltons type blend. For probably 13 or 14 years they had a herdsire (who lived to about 15) who had some Victor, but also some Mischief etc. His name was JTJ Buckshot 7B. I have one of his daughters, and probably at least a third of their herd are his daughters. This old bull was still alive when I got into the business, and even at 12 or so he was the best looking polled Hereford bull I'd ever seen. The current herd bull battery consists of the senior HVH Hudson bull, two JMS Victors, one Sandhill bull, and one Star Lake bred Boulder son that is throwing some fairly small calves. They've got a few Star Lake bred cows, but not that many.

From what I've seen, the average BW at Flying G is about 75#, and I don't really know just where they cut it off, but I know that this calf weighed 110#, and that they've had home bred calves that performed as well or better on weaning weight that weighed in the seventies. One of them was a herd sire for me a few years back, and is working in a Charolais herd the last few years.

I know that there are some who like those 110# calves, but this isn't Canada. I would expect the same genetic combo to produce at least another 5 or 10# up there.

 

[alexfarms]

I am glad that they are an older hereford outfit and that this obvious waste of money wont' deter them from remaining in the hereford business for a long time into the future.

 

[Nesikep]

I know that there are some who like those 110# calves, but this isn't Canada. I would expect the same genetic combo to produce at least another 5 or 10# up there.

Why would we have higher birthweights up here???

breeding at 2 years old like we do, we don't mind 90# calves, over 100 is a little much unless the cow knows how, but it's not useful for us to look for 60# BW when the cow can do much better, and do it without us around

 

[dun]

I know that there are some who like those 110# calves, but this isn't Canada. I would expect the same genetic combo to produce at least another 5 or 10# up there.

Why would we have higher birthweights up here???

breeding at 2 years old like we do, we don't mind 90# calves, over 100 is a little much unless the cow knows how, but it's not useful for us to look for 60# BW when the cow can do much better, and do it without us around

It's been proven that calves from northern areas are heavier at birth then those from southern areas.

 

[greenwillowhereford II]

In very cold weather, more of the cow's blood flow is directed to the vitals, bringing an extra rush of nutrients to the developing calf.